Stories

No Laughing Matter

“Come on Felix we’re going to be late for class,” said Harvey Harwell, a young 13-year-old student at Ravenswood Middle School. Harvey had platinum-blond hair, deep-blue eyes, and a tan skin tone.

“I know, we have to hurry, wouldn’t want to be late for the surprise,” replied Felix, winking mischievously. Felix had curly black hair, hazel-brown eyes, and a pale skin tone. BEEEP!!! The class bell rang.

“Hurry! Let’s get to class quick!” shouted Harvey.

The two raced to get to class, hoping their teacher, Mr. Lavender, wouldn’t notice their absence. Harvey entered the doorway first, then Felix. All eyes in the classroom turned to them as they stepped in. They calmly took their seats directly in front of Mr. Lavender and started to chat quietly.

“I hope you boys are prepared for the test,” said. Mr Lavender.

“What test?” asked Felix.

“The Africa test we have been studying for for the past two weeks,” replied Mr. L.

Eyes widening, Harvey started to panic. He had forgotten to study for the test last night. Rifling through his social studies binder, a random assortment of papers the teacher had assigned throughout the year, Harvey searched desperately for his review packet. His packet lay crumpled between a map of Australia and a word search covering Ancient Egypt. Harvey grabbed it, smoothed out the wrinkles as best he could, and began furiously trying to memorize all the questions and answers.

“Alright class, it’s about time we get to testing, everyone please put your notes away and slide them under your desk,” said Mr. L, “I will now hand each of you a test.”

As Mr. Lavender moved to get out of his chair, he suddenly sat back down, as if some invisible man had yanked him back into his seat. He tried to stand up a couple more times but to no avail, the class began to giggle a little bit.

“This isn’t funny!” the teacher yelled, “whoever put glue on my chair is going straight to the office after I get out!”

“You mean IF you get out,” said Felix. A couple more students began to laugh.

“Felix! I bet you did this didn’t you? Oh, you are in so much trouble, mister!”

“Looks like you’re in a little bit more trouble than I am,” remarked Felix.

“Don’t push it Felix... “Harvey whispered through gritted teeth.

“Harvey Harwell! Of course you would have helped Felix do this!” exclaimed the teacher,

“Well guess what? Now you both have detention! Why don’t you two walk yourselves down to the office before I call your parents. And the rest of you better stop laughing or else I’ll call your parents too! Now get back to work!”

Harvey refused to look at Felix as they walked down to the office. Why did he have to keep taunting Mr. Lavender, thought Harvey. Felix didn’t know what to think, his only friend was mad at him. As they neared the office entrance, Felix made a remark about how Mr. Lavender probably ripped his pants trying to get out of the chair. Harvey, frustrated and annoyed, simply gave Felix a look that told him to shut up.

As they entered the office, they couldn’t help but notice all the things in the room that made you feel extremely calm. The office was like a world devoid of troubles. The walls were a pleasant shade of baby-blue, the pictures on the wall were all of adorable animals such as kittens and puppies, and the room smelled faintly of lemons. Harvey couldn’t help but feel a little bit less tense.

The two boys sat down in front of the principal, Mrs. Warde. Harvey and Felix told Mrs. Warde that they glued their teacher to his chair. To make a short story even shorter, both of them got lunch detention for the week, which was pretty bad considering they were separated and stuck in a disturbingly calming room at lunch.

Three days later as the boys were walking to the office for lunch, Felix tried to get Harvey to loosen up.

“Look, I’m sorry I got you in trouble Harvey, I’m sorry I wouldn’t shut up in class, I’m sorry we’re stuck in the office for lunch now, but there is nothing either of us can do about it!” said Felix.

“I got an F on my test because you told me it would be funny to put glue on Mr. L’s chair,” replied Harvey.

“Yeah I know but I have a way to make it up to you, we pull a prank on someone.”

“How would that help at all! That’s what got us here in the first place!”

“I know but this time it will be different, it’ll be fun.”

“Fine, but this is the only chance you get to redeem yourself.”

Felix had already thought of something, all he had to do was get Harvey to help him. Harvey spent the next day retrieving the items that Felix would need in order to pull of the prank. He had gotten whipped cream, a pie pan, wax paper, and some thumbtacks. The next lunch after Felix told Harvey the prank was set up, he met Felix near the outside of Mrs. Warde’s office.

“Glad you could make it,” said Felix.

“This better be good. No not good, this better be great,” said Harvey.

“Oh it will,” replied Felix, “wait shhh, here she comes!”

Mrs. Warde walked up to her office chair, and began to sit down. All of the sudden, she jerked back up.

“Ow!” she said. As soon as she got out of her chair, something hit her in the face, something creamy. It was the pie pan filled with whipped cream. Felix started to giggle, Mrs. Warde heard him.

“Felix Fitzgerald come out of there right now!” she screamed with whipped cream all over her face. The little troublemaker stood out from behind the corner.

“Here I am, come and get me,” he taunted. Harvey suddenly got a really bad feeling about this. Mrs. Warde speed-walked over to the doorway in which Felix was standing. As soon as she reached the doorway, she got clotheslined by wax paper that stretched left to right from head level in the doorframe.

“Run! Come on Harvey!" Felix said as he booked it away from the fallen Mrs. Warde.

“Harvey? You two troublemakers get back here!” yelled Mrs. Warde. Harvey walked over to her and helped her up. He apologized for harming her, and gave her a Kleenex to wipe the whipped cream off her face with. She thanked him, but told him he was still going to be in trouble for pranking her.

After the horrible “prank”, Felix got 3 days of in-school suspension, and Harvey got 2 days of in-school suspension for apologizing. After getting in trouble because of Felix twice, Harvey decided to stay away from him from then on. The next two days without Felix were pretty good, Harvey was glad he had decided to avoid him. Felix however, was miserable without Harvey. Harvey was his only real friend who would ever talk with him and hang out with him. Felix was having the three worst days of his Middle School life in there.

Four days after Harvey and Felix had split up, they were walking into class like they usually would as friends. Harvey entered the doorway first, then Felix. All eyes turned to them as they walked in. They took their seats in front of Mr. Lavender, and sat there until they were assigned work to do.

At the end of the day, the students began to leave. Felix tried to get up, but found himself stuck in his seat. Harvey looked over at him and grinned. Then Harvey pulled out a pie tray, and Mr. L. filled it with whipped cream. The pie was then sent hurdling towards Felix. After smothering Felix’s face in whipped cream, Harvey laughed and said something to him.

“Now that you know what it’s like to be on the other side if the joke, let’s be friends again,” said Harvey. Felix looked at his old friend for a minute. Then smiled and confessed he was miserable without him. And now that Felix and Harvey are good friends again, and Felix learned to stop playing mean jokes on people, students and teachers alike at Ravenswood Middle School don’t have to worry about getting pranked anymore.